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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stock — goods
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stock — shares
  10. date — the fruit
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stem — to come from
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. key — in music
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. row — a line
  20. fine — all right
  21. rock — music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com